Festival of Lights History

Hosted and organized by the Humboldt & District Chamber of Commerce with support from the City of Humboldt and sponsored by Northern Lights Casino

The Festival of Lights has been taking place in the Humboldt Campground since 2009. Prior to this, the Chamber of Commerce attempted to put on a Christmas Parade yearly that coincided with Moonlight Madness – the kick off to the Christmas shopping season in our community. The idea of the Festival of Lights came about while trying to figure out how to increase participation of our local businesses in the parade. We understood what was holding them back – the effort needed to put together a float that may or may not be used, depending on weather, and that it would be seen for an hour and that was it.

So, the idea of the Festival of Lights was born. The Humboldt Campground is seasonal and this beautiful, well treed area would be the perfect venue. Businesses jumped on board very quickly, knowing that they could promote their business and send Christmas greetings for the entire season, regardless of weather. Sponsors also joined us without hesitation, allowing us to make the Festival of Lights FREE to those who wanted to experience the magic. A donation box is present for those who would like to give and all proceeds of the Festival are donated to a different local charity each year.

In 2017, 22 spots were decorated by local businesses and organizations. The support and enthusiasm of the community ensures the continued success of this great community event.